Catcher and projector employed with a substantially non-resilient ball

ABSTRACT

A game and equipment therefor, including a hand manipulated launcher and a ball, in which the ball is impelled along a trajectory by first placing the ball on a reaction surface presented by the launcher, rocking the launcher to impart momentum to the ball and then withdrawing the launching surface by swift movement so that the ball is launched on its trajectory by reaction, whereafter a gamesman endeavors to catch the ball by a launcher used in the game. The reaction surface is an arc of no more than 180*, and preferably about 160*. The ball is to be caught or captured in such a fashion that the ball does not bounce or ricochet into an ungoverned trajectory.

United States Patent [151 3,697,074 Duncan 1451 Oct. 10, 1972 [54] CATCHER AND PROJECTOR 1,530,573 3/1925 Olcott ..273/96 R EMPLOYED WITH A SUBSTANTIALLY 828,244 8/1906 Punches ..273/96 R NON-RESILIENT BALL 1,671,749 5/1928 Spaulding ..273/96 R [72] Inventor: Alfred D. Duncan, Elmhurst, Ill. Primary Examiner Richard C Pinkham [7 3] Assignee: Duncanlite Laboratory, Inc., Villa Assistant -M in iskind Park, Ill, Att0rneyKinzer, Dom and Zickert [211 Appl' 36,878 A game and equipment therefor, including a hand manipulated launcher and a ball, in which the ball is [52 us. Cl. ..273/96 R, 273/109, 273/58 R, impelled along a trajectory y first Placing the ball on 273/218, 273/1316 5, 273mm 12 a reaction surface presented by the launcher, rocking 51 Int. Cl. ..A63b 63/00 the launcher hhPant mmhehtum to the hall and [58] Field of Search ..273/96 R, 110 R, 109 R withdrawing the launching Surface by Swift "wvemeht so that the ball is launched on its trajectory'by reaction, whereafter a gamesman endeavors to catch the [56] References cued ball by a launcher used in the game. The reaction sur- UNITED STATES PATENTS face is an arc of no more than 180, and preferably about 160. The ball is to be caught or captured in 2,242,450 5/1941 R Such a fashion that the ball does not bounce or 3,170,688 2/1965 Porter ..273/96 R ricochet into an ungovemed trajectory. 1,022,186 4/1912 Engler ..273/96 R 2,835,494 5/1958 Hull ..273/96 R 4 Claims, 3 Drawing Ih'gures PATENTEDnm 10 m2 D01 and ZALkmt' fig/Z Inventor fi'Ffd D. Duncan fir FlG3-6 fH-Eornegs CATCIIER AND PROJECTOR EMPLOYED WITH A SUBSTANTIALLY NON-RESILIENT BALL This invention relates to a game procedure and equipment therefor characterized by launching a ball into the air by means of a hand manipulated launcher or flipper, whereafter the gamesman endeavors to recapture the ball.

There are few ball games which can be played within a limited area, and fewer still which involve elements of skill and challenge for a solo player. The principal factor which dictates a playing field of generous area is that in nearly all instances the games involve a live" ball. The primary object of the present invention is to devise a ball game of skill, which also presents an element of challenge, capable of being played within a limited area, and to achieve this end by means of a dead ball which nonetheless can be launched 'or sent into a determined trajectory thereafter to be caught or re-captured by the same player or another player participating in the game. A related object of the present invention is to devise equipment enabling a ball game to be played within a limited area, either solo or otherwise, the equipment comprising a ball launcher of such form as to enable a ball to be deliberately flipped into the air by the principle of reaction, whereafter a player endeavors to capture the ball smoothly on the launching device. The ball has little bounce, aptly characterized as virtually dead, thereby presenting a solution to the space factor, but nonetheless a fault may occur in the event the player fails properly to calculate for the return path of the ball in the course of making a catch, such fault being manifest in a ricochet of the ball from the surface of the ball launcher.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the equipment used for the game of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the equipment; and

FIG. 3 is a series of diagrammatic views showing one manner of the game.

The equipment for playing the game of the present invention is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, and the method of the game will be explained in connection with FIG. 3.

Referring first to FIG. 1, the equipment used for the present game comprises a spherically formed, bowlshaped ball launcher or flipper 11 and a ball 12, the launcher having a handle H adapted to be held in the hand of the player P. The launcher includes a circular lip from which the handle extends. The ball launcher is molded from polypropylene. The ball 12 is solid as shown in FIG. 2 and is composed in its entirety of vinyl plastic of a Durometer hardness of from about to 60. A ball having a Durometer hardness of about 55 is an example of a ball that may be used. To generate an appreciation of the size of the equipment, in one form, the interior span of the bowl, DL, is about 8 /4 inches, having a depth S of about 3-7/16 inches. The ball has a diameter DB of about 1% inches;

The launcher presents an upwardly opening concave launching surface 118 having a uniform radius of curvature and encompassing an arc of about l60.

The nature of the launcher (e.g., polypropylene) and the nature of the ball (e.g., vinyl plastic of Durometer hardness 35 to 60) is such that the ball has very little bounce. Indeed the ball has very little bounce from any surface and is essentially dead"; for example, when dropped at arm's length onto a hardwood floor or floor covered with plastic tile the ball will rebound at most by scarcely more than a half inch or so.

One mode of game, under the present invention, is illustrated in FIG. 3. In position 3.0 the ball 12 is at rest on the launching surface 118. To initiate the game in a solo sense the ball launcher 11 may be tipped slightly and rocked back and forth (positions 3.1 and 3.2) to impart momentum to the ball, whereafter the player deliberately and swiftly withdraws the launching surface rearward, position 3.3, launching the ball into a determined trajectory which may be aptly characterized as flipping the ball into the air. The ball is thus launched and escapes by reaction as the launching surface 118 is withdrawn. The ball follows a determined position upward, position 3.4, and then the solo player maneuvers the ball launcher to catch the ball. In a skilled performance, the ball will be caught or captured, position 3.5, on the down slope of surface 118, in which event the player may then endeavor to re-launch the ball precisely as in the first instance, an operation which may be repeated in a skilled manner making successive points as the ball is repeatedly launched and re-captured. A fault or mis-play may occur, position 3.6, when the player fails to capture or snare the ball in a sufficiently smooth manner as to prevent a ricochet or bounce in which the ball escapes from the launching surface in an ungoverned manner.

The foregoing, FIG. 3, describes only one mode of game. Thus the player may develop further skills by tossing a single ball back and forth between a ball launcher held in the left hand and a second launcher held in the right hand.

Two or more persons may play the game by tossing a ball back and forth much in the manner of pitch-andcatch.

The game may be played within a limited area, and yet several participants may play. Materials other than those mentioned may be used since the essential feature is that the materials be so selected as to produce little bounce upon effective capture of the ball; but nonetheless the ball has enough rebound, when falling onto the launching surface (position 3.6) as to require skill in capture lest the ball ricochet in a fault performance as described.

I claim:

1. Game equipment for launching and catching a ball which comprises a launcher of rigid plastic material having a generally semi-spherically shaped body defining a spherical ball launching and catching surface and a circular opening terminating at a rim, said circular opening providing unobstructed access to the ball launching and catching surface of the spherical body, a circular inwardly directed lip at the rim which imparts a forward spin to the ball as it is launched upwards and permits rotating the ball centrifugally within the body, and a handle extending from the rim, and a solid plastic ball having a Durometer hardness of 35 to 60, the material for the body and the material for the ball being such that the ball has little bounce on capture.

2. Game equipment as defined in claim I wherein the body is formed with an arc of less than 180 3. Game equipment as defined in claim I, wherein the body is formed with an arc of about 4. Game equipment as defined in claim 1, wherein the launcher is of polypropylene, and the ball is of vinyl. 

1. Game equipment for launching and catching a ball which comprises a launcher of rigid plastic material having a generally semi-spherically shaped body defining a spherical ball launching and catching surface and a circular opening terminating at a rim, said circular opening providing unobstructed access to the ball launching and catching surface of the spherical body, a circular inwardly directed lip at the rim which imparts a forward spin to the ball as it is launched upwards and permits rotating the ball centrifugally within the body, and a handle extending from the rim, and a solid plastic ball having a Durometer hardness of 35 to 60, the material for the body and the material for the ball being such that the ball has little bounce on capture.
 2. Game equipment as defined in claim 1 wherein the body is formed with an aRc of less than 180 *.
 3. Game equipment as defined in claim 1, wherein the body is formed with an arc of about 160 *.
 4. Game equipment as defined in claim 1, wherein the launcher is of polypropylene, and the ball is of vinyl. 